One of the most time-consuming tasks facing information technology (IT) departments today is the creation and deployment of images for end-user systems. In large enterprises, the process can be daunting and expensive, as each client or workgroup requires various applications and tools that differ according to their role in the organization. For example, global organizations may require images with specific language elements, which in turn requires that a separate image be created for each business unit. Additionally, the number of images will increase depending on hardware and software requirements; this is because various driver libraries and installed applications change according to specific system characteristics and business requirements.
“ImageUltra” is a technology that addresses this issue. This technology has already issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,944,867B2, and is herein incorporated by reference. This approach allows IT administrators to reduce the number of unique images they need to deploy systems throughout the company. As contemplated therein, there are four key elements to consider when creating an image: language, hardware platform, operating system, and workgroup applications.
ImageUltra contains three tools that eliminate the need for numerous separate images. The first tool is Dynamic Operating Environment (DOE), which consolidates different languages and operating systems into one master image. DOE then provides an interface that allows the IT specialist or user to select the right language and Operating System for particular business needs. The second tool is Hardware Independent Imaging Technology (HIIT), which is an intelligent mechanism that enables the image to adjust to the Lenovo hardware environment without the need for a new image. The HIIT is a hardware independent, self contained area of the drive which holds the drivers for the system. It includes an area for the generic Operating System and application data and another driver specific area. HIIT will detect the correct drivers needed for a particular Lenovo PC and install them from the embedded driver modules, which reside on a hidden partition on the local hard drive. The third tool is Software Delivery Assistant (SDA), which is a software tool that allows creation of an image with multiple applications for the entire company or for individual workgroups (by functional group or division, for example).
Appropriate programs can be selectively installed via a menu. Using these tools, IT professionals can create a master image that contains elements for every possible configuration used throughout their organization. It is pre-loaded (either by Lenovo or the customer's IT department) on new Lenovo systems. During the initial boot process, the proper configuration is selected via a menu-driven interface. All pertinent applications, drivers and operating system settings are installed automatically. Then, after the image has been installed, the IT professional can choose whether to keep the entire master image, keep only the installed components, or keep nothing at all.
Currently, a user managing a system using ImageUltra is required to have a service partition or other data area which contains ImageUltra and utilities along with the Operating System and drivers. The information pertinent to the drivers is stored in a driver map, which is a table based index of all the drivers that could be used by ImageUltra for any system. This driver map calls out numerous device drivers that may or may not be required on a given system. These unnecessary drivers consume space on the service partition or other data area, as well as space for drivers placed in the Windows Operating System to enable Plug 'n Play (PnP) support. Even if the drivers and Operating System components are on a server, the ImageUltra boot and utilities must be located on the local system. This consumes space that could be used by the end user, and may contain out of date drivers and Operating System components should the user need to re-image at a later date. Additionally, this solution requires the system to be powered on for the discovery of needed drivers, and download of components.
Thus, a need has been recognized in connection with providing a method or system which is able to more efficiently store only those drivers that are necessary for a current image.